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Looks like the good ship Liberal is springing some leaks.....gee that's soooo sad.
This on CTV shared with the usual disclaimers
Liberal infighting shows panic over byelection
Political analyst and former Liberal MP Jean Lapierre appears on CTV's 'Question Period' on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007.
Marcel Proulx, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's Quebec lieutenant, on CTV's 'Question Period' on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007.
Joel-Denis Bellavance on CTV's 'Question Period' on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007.
CTV.ca News Staff
Updated: Sun. Sep. 16 2007 7:56 PM ET
Some in the Liberal camp may be anticipating defeat in the Outremont byelection in Quebec if a mischief-making article is any indication, says the riding's former Liberal MP.
Jean Lapierre told CTV's Question Period on Sunday that the Halifax Chronicle-Herald news story on Saturday blaming Michael Ignatieff for not helping enough has to come from Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's people.
The allegation suggests Dion's supporters fear Ignatieff is trying to undermine the Liberal leader, to raise his own stature within the party.
A sample quote from the article about what the Dion people saw as organizationally questionable decisions: "'There's one of two options,' said one source close to Mr. Dion. 'There's some folks there who are either grossly incompetent or intentionally malicious'."
Lapierre shook his head at the accusation. "That's incredible. That's what I would call a pre-emptive strike," he said. "But it's total fabrication."
The Liberals "have never had so much help from Liberal stars," including Ignatieff, said Lapierre, who stepped down in late January to become a political analyst for the TVA network in Quebec.
"Mr. Dion has spent at least seven days in the riding. He's still there today. I don't think they can blame it on anybody else. Everybody has been a good trouper in this one."
This article has hurt the morale of organizers in the riding, he said. They wonder "who was so crazy to spin something like this," he said.
Marcel Proulx, Dion's Quebec lieutenant, told Question Period that Ignatieff has been involved in Outremont.
"Last Sunday, he was in Outremont" doing canvassing, he said. Ignatieff's main organizers in Quebec -- MPs Denis Coderre and Pablo Rodriguez -- have been involved in the Outremont fight.
"We're very satisfied with everybody's involvement and everybody's good work in these ridings," Proulx said.
The Liberals do appear to be in trouble in the riding, which they have held almost continuously since 1935.
Lapierre noted the Liberals held the riding in 2004 and 2006, at the height of the sponsorship fallout.
A Unimarket poll for La Presse released Friday gives star NDP candidate Thomas Mulcair -- a former provincial Liberal environment minister -- a 38 per cent to 32 per cent lead over Liberal candidate Jocelyn Coulon.
Both the Liberals and NDP are pouring outside workers into the riding in advance of Monday's vote, one of three byelections to be held in Quebec.
The Liberals are down only three percentage points from the party's vote share in the 2006 federal election.
Where the NDP appears to be gaining is from Bloc Quebecois supporters. The poll found that 40 per cent of BQ supporters said they would switch their vote to the NDP.
The Bloc is polling at 14 per cent, putting it in third place. But in 2006, the party captured about 29 per cent of the vote in Outremont. The NDP only captured 17 per cent in that election.
Lapierre said that might be intentional, with the Bloc hoping to damage the Liberals.
However, the poll also found the electorate to be in flux, with 43 per cent saying they could yet shift their vote again on Monday.
Lapierre said a Liberal organizer in Outremont told him the party could still win the riding by 700 votes if they get their supporters to the polls.
In comparison, the NDP has no organization in Outremont and the outcome may come down to organizational strength, he said.
Lapierre pronounced the riding too close to call.
Joel-Denis Bellavance, Ottawa bureau chief for La Presse, told Question Period that he's heard the NDP will import 500 workers into the riding on Monday to help get that party's vote out.
In byelections, people tend to vote more for the candidate than the party, he added.
The governing Conservatives are running fifth in Outremont with seven per cent support -- one point behind the Green party.
Sen. Michael Fortier, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's public works minister who lives in the riding and does not have a seat in the House of Commons, chose not to run in the byelection.
The Tories do appear competitive in Roberval-Lac St. Jean -- which has been a Bloc Quebecois stronghold. The poll gave the party 43 per cent support, six percentage points more than the BQ.
Lapierre said the Tory candidate there is utilizing the strength of his municipal organization. "The Tories have no organization after 18 months in power," he said.
The third byelection is in Saint Hyacinthe-Bagot. The Bloc appears positioned to hold that seat.
The Liberals are not competitive in either of those ridings, if the poll is accurate.
This on CTV shared with the usual disclaimers
Liberal infighting shows panic over byelection
Political analyst and former Liberal MP Jean Lapierre appears on CTV's 'Question Period' on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007.
Marcel Proulx, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's Quebec lieutenant, on CTV's 'Question Period' on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007.
Joel-Denis Bellavance on CTV's 'Question Period' on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007.
CTV.ca News Staff
Updated: Sun. Sep. 16 2007 7:56 PM ET
Some in the Liberal camp may be anticipating defeat in the Outremont byelection in Quebec if a mischief-making article is any indication, says the riding's former Liberal MP.
Jean Lapierre told CTV's Question Period on Sunday that the Halifax Chronicle-Herald news story on Saturday blaming Michael Ignatieff for not helping enough has to come from Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's people.
The allegation suggests Dion's supporters fear Ignatieff is trying to undermine the Liberal leader, to raise his own stature within the party.
A sample quote from the article about what the Dion people saw as organizationally questionable decisions: "'There's one of two options,' said one source close to Mr. Dion. 'There's some folks there who are either grossly incompetent or intentionally malicious'."
Lapierre shook his head at the accusation. "That's incredible. That's what I would call a pre-emptive strike," he said. "But it's total fabrication."
The Liberals "have never had so much help from Liberal stars," including Ignatieff, said Lapierre, who stepped down in late January to become a political analyst for the TVA network in Quebec.
"Mr. Dion has spent at least seven days in the riding. He's still there today. I don't think they can blame it on anybody else. Everybody has been a good trouper in this one."
This article has hurt the morale of organizers in the riding, he said. They wonder "who was so crazy to spin something like this," he said.
Marcel Proulx, Dion's Quebec lieutenant, told Question Period that Ignatieff has been involved in Outremont.
"Last Sunday, he was in Outremont" doing canvassing, he said. Ignatieff's main organizers in Quebec -- MPs Denis Coderre and Pablo Rodriguez -- have been involved in the Outremont fight.
"We're very satisfied with everybody's involvement and everybody's good work in these ridings," Proulx said.
The Liberals do appear to be in trouble in the riding, which they have held almost continuously since 1935.
Lapierre noted the Liberals held the riding in 2004 and 2006, at the height of the sponsorship fallout.
A Unimarket poll for La Presse released Friday gives star NDP candidate Thomas Mulcair -- a former provincial Liberal environment minister -- a 38 per cent to 32 per cent lead over Liberal candidate Jocelyn Coulon.
Both the Liberals and NDP are pouring outside workers into the riding in advance of Monday's vote, one of three byelections to be held in Quebec.
The Liberals are down only three percentage points from the party's vote share in the 2006 federal election.
Where the NDP appears to be gaining is from Bloc Quebecois supporters. The poll found that 40 per cent of BQ supporters said they would switch their vote to the NDP.
The Bloc is polling at 14 per cent, putting it in third place. But in 2006, the party captured about 29 per cent of the vote in Outremont. The NDP only captured 17 per cent in that election.
Lapierre said that might be intentional, with the Bloc hoping to damage the Liberals.
However, the poll also found the electorate to be in flux, with 43 per cent saying they could yet shift their vote again on Monday.
Lapierre said a Liberal organizer in Outremont told him the party could still win the riding by 700 votes if they get their supporters to the polls.
In comparison, the NDP has no organization in Outremont and the outcome may come down to organizational strength, he said.
Lapierre pronounced the riding too close to call.
Joel-Denis Bellavance, Ottawa bureau chief for La Presse, told Question Period that he's heard the NDP will import 500 workers into the riding on Monday to help get that party's vote out.
In byelections, people tend to vote more for the candidate than the party, he added.
The governing Conservatives are running fifth in Outremont with seven per cent support -- one point behind the Green party.
Sen. Michael Fortier, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's public works minister who lives in the riding and does not have a seat in the House of Commons, chose not to run in the byelection.
The Tories do appear competitive in Roberval-Lac St. Jean -- which has been a Bloc Quebecois stronghold. The poll gave the party 43 per cent support, six percentage points more than the BQ.
Lapierre said the Tory candidate there is utilizing the strength of his municipal organization. "The Tories have no organization after 18 months in power," he said.
The third byelection is in Saint Hyacinthe-Bagot. The Bloc appears positioned to hold that seat.
The Liberals are not competitive in either of those ridings, if the poll is accurate.
